TAMPA, Fla. — When the Panthers drafted Tetairoa McMillan back in April, the club made no secret about the fact that they expected him to become "their guy." The Arizona rookie had all the intangibles: the length, physicality, soft hands. But there's always a question that surrounds any rookie, tempered expectations that come with the unknown; how quickly will they transition to the NFL, if at all?

With the regular season now behind them (and a possible postseason berth still on the horizon), the Carolina Panthers have their answer when it comes to McMillan, who finished with four catches for 85 yards in the loss to the Bucs.

He can be that guy.

As the season progressed, quarterback Bryce Young became more and more comfortable with McMillan in all areas of the field. The two particularly found a rhythm on sideline intermediate throws. Then, on Saturday night, when the Panthers had to have a big play, Young sent a 40-yarder downfield for McMillan, who hauled it in with two guys in coverage.

The play helped McMillan reach the 1,000-yard mark for the season, finishing with 1,014 total yards this regular season, as well as setting a new franchise record for receiving yards by a rookie. He bypassed the record previously set by Kelvin Benjamin with 1,008 yards. It also catapulted him back ahead of Bucs receiver Emeka Egbuka for most receptions and yards by a rookie receiver in the league this regular season.

Given the Panthers 16-14 loss that takes their postseason destiny out of their own hands, McMillan admitted after the game he hadn't really been able to think about the marks yet. But his teammates did ensure he had a moment of celebration during the game.

"I kind of just took a moment, obviously everybody on the sideline knew when I broke it and knew I hit 1,000 yards, so they were kind of congratulating me," McMillan said of the reaction after the 40-yarder.

"So, you know, I just had a quick moment where I felt appreciated, but then, I got to click into that mode to where we want to go down and win the game."

Two plays after the big shot, Young found Jalen Coker in the corner of the end zone for a contested catch that the second-year player brought in for the touchdown. It was a fitting sequence, highlighting two guys the Panthers found at opposite ends of the prospect spectrum—McMillan was the No. 8 overall pick, and Coker was an undrafted free agent—and how they have brought them together to create a one-two punch that can be built upon for years to come.

"I think we're just going to have to continue to play every week and to continue to make plays downfield, you know, (TMac's) a great player," Coker, who finished with six catches for 47 yards and a touchdown, said.

"Same with Xavier Legette, same with Jimmy Horn Jr., you know, everyone's going to continue to rise and step up and continue to make big plays."

There was a chance for McMillan to finish with an even bigger stat line and get the Panthers into Bucs territory in the third quarter, but officials negated his 32-yard catch with offensive pass interference. The call immediately drew ire from ESPN announcers, former players, and more.

In a postgame pool report, referee Brad Allen explained the call, saying, "The covering official saw that the receiver created separation more than one yard downfield, which by rule is illegal and is offensive pass interference."

Said McMillan of the play, "I kind of wanted to come into this game being an aggressor, and I did on that specific play, and I guess it didn't work out."

It was a blemish on a day that otherwise showcased to a national audience what the rookie is capable of doing on the football field. As to whether he'll have a chance to do so again next week remains to be seen. But the stage on Saturday showed the rest of the league what the Panthers are figuring out. He can be one of those guys.

As for McMillan, he's not taking time to think about it right now. The loss still stings, the possibility to play again still hangs in the air, and the only number that matters to the rookie is the final score.

"It was an unfortunate scenario where, you know, I was able to break (the record), but we still lost the game," he admitted before pausing, trying to picture what it might mean someday, when he does stop to appreciate what he's done and the change he's wrought in one short year. "So it's kind of hard to—you know, maybe I, maybe I'll think about it later."